Observation of moiré trapped biexciton through sub-diffraction-limit probing using hetero-bilayer on nanopillar (2509.00879v1)

Abstract: The ability to tune the degree of interaction among particles at the nanoscale is highly intriguing. The spectroscopic signature of such interaction is often subtle and requires special probes to observe. To this end, inter-layer excitons trapped in the periodic potential wells of a moir\'e superlattice offer rich interaction physics, specifically due to the presence of both attractive and repulsive components in the interaction. Here we show that the Coulomb force between two inter-layer excitons switches from repulsive to attractive when the length scale reduces from inter-moir\'e-pocket to intra-moir\'e-pocket in a WS$_2$/WSe$_2$ hetero-bilayer - thanks to the complex competition between direct and exchange interaction. The finding is a departure from the usual notion of repelling inter-layer excitons due to layer polarization. This manifests as the simultaneous observation of an anomalous superlinear power-law of moir\'e exciton and a stabilization of moir\'e trapped biexciton. The experimental observation is facilitated by placing the hetero-bilayer on a polymer-nanopillar/gold-film stack which significantly reduces the inhomogeneous spectral broadening by selectively probing a smaller ensemble of moir\'e pockets compared with a flat sample. This creates an interesting platform to explore interaction among moir\'e trapped excitons and higher order quasiparticles.